During the agony Savita Halappanavar endured before her death, she made her husband promise not to reveal to her family that she was ill. The mass-market English-language paper, the Times of Indiareported that her parents, Andanappa and Akkamahadevi Yalagi, received the shattering news a few days after she died. Halappanavar’s father described his daughter as a “bold and intelligent woman with big dreams.”

It took another two weeks after Halappanavar died for her story to reach the wider public. The cause of death on Oct. 28 was blood poisoning and an infection known as E.coli ESBL following a miscarriage in a hospital in the Irish city of Galway. But since the publication on Nov. 14 of an interview with her husband, Praveen Halappanavar, her case is attracting worldwide attention, concern–and anger. He told the Irish Times that his wife, who was 17 weeks pregnant and complaining of back pain, had arrived at University Hospital Galway where she was warned she was miscarrying her child. It would be another three days before the fetus’ heart stopped beating and doctors agreed to a procedure to remove it from the womb, he said, adding that during these three days, he and his wife asked on numerous occasions if doctors could terminate the pregnancy. He said that the hospital refused, saying that their hands were tied due to the ambiguous nature of abortion legislation in Ireland. Following the extraction procedure, his wife deteriorated quickly and died a week after arriving at the hospital.

While the hashtag Savita continues to trend across Twitter, protestors in Dublin are preparing for a candle-lit vigil to be held in the city centre on Nov. 17. Organizers predict that they will be joined by thousands holding vigils across Ireland, the U.K. and Belgium. A protest is planned in New York on Monday. Demonstrators took to the streets of New Delhi and Bangalore on Nov. 16.

Two inquiries into the death are being carried out by the hospital and by the HSE, the Irish Health Service Executive. Meanwhile, an expert report on recommendations for Irish abortion legislation has been presented to the Irish parliament. A spokesman for the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, told TIME that “the Government has established a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding [Savita’s] death. The findings of that investigation will be made known to Government as soon as it is completed.”

Rapid responses have not been a feature of Ireland’s long abortion debate. For 20 years Irish governments have delayed legislation that would have clarified abortion law. Savita Halappanavar’s case may prove a turning point.

That is a hope that remains for her family. Her mother told the Times of India she believes her daughter will only attain “moksha” [the end of death and rebirth cycle in Hinduism] after the Irish authorities clarify existing legislation on abortion. “Everybody should force the Ireland government to amend its laws,” she said. Savita’s widower told journalists that although he has decided not to pursue legal action, he intends to lobby the Irish government to permit abortions if a mother’s life is at risk.

We should be openminded especially in cases like this. Balance of science and religion is the best formula don't you think? I am a Catholic and I believe in God but I am also a nurse and I would totally understand abortion used in emergency purposes. Its a matter of personal choice, who are we to judge..

This is why I have problems w/ organized religion, in this case the Catholic church. It seems all of them INSIST they're beliefs are the ONLY correct beliefs! No one is FOR abortions. They are merely AGAINST the alternative!

Strangly this problem was the same one Mrs Santorum had but over here she was aborted. Interestingly her husband is against all forms of abortion even if the moher dies. I guess what was good for his wife is not good for anyone else.

So typical of feminists....exploit another sad event for furthering their own cause. The investigation is still ongoing and it could have very well been medical negligence instead of it anything to do with the foetus which still had a heart beat. It would be foolish to assume that those who are protesting actually 'care' for the deceased 'Indian' woman except for the ones protesting in her home country, India. Even in this article and others written by female journalists never once mention that Savitha was herself a doctor.